Safety-latch for trunks.



PATENTED DEC. 4, 1906.

a .No. 837,366.

INVENTOR. Jo/m Wa/f ATTORNEK J. WOLF. SAFE TY LATCH FOR TRUNKS, APPLICATION FILED MAY 24 1906 WITNESSES.-

i n N m a u I H u w w s R I r UNITED STATES;

PATENT OFFICE.

SAFETY-LATCH FOR TRUNKS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 4, 1906.

Application filed May 24, 1906. Serial No. 318,534.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, JOHN WOLF, a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Louis, State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Safety-Latches for Trunks, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof.

My invention has relation to improvements in safety-latches for trunks and other receptacles; and it consists in the novel construction and arrangement of parts more fully set forth in the specification and pointed out in the claim.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of a portion of the upper part of a trunk, showing an ordinary form of lock and a Hagney bolt provided with my invention. Fig. 2 is a rear view of the main lock, showing the main bolt turned to locked position and the safety-latch disengaged or unlocked. Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the main lock unlocked, but the safety-latch shifted to its locked position. Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section on line 4 4 of Fig. 3, and Fig. 5 is an inside view of a Hagney bolt provided with a safety-latch specially applicable thereto.

The object of my invention is to provide the lock of a trunk with a hidden latch whose position and mode of operation are known only to the owner of the trunk, whereby in the event of the unlocking of the lock proper by unauthorized persons the lid would still resist any attempts at opening, being held to its closed position by the hidden safety-latch referred to. i/Vhile specially adapted to be associated with the lock of the trunk, I may equip such portions as the valance-clamps, Hagney bolts, and the like with a suitable form of hidden latch, the principle thereof in no wise restricting it in its application.

The advantages of the hidden latch will better be apparent from a detailed description of the invention, which is as follows:

Referring to the drawings, and particularly to Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive, T represents a trunk-body, and L the hinged lid thereof, as usual. Secured to the body of the trunk is a hinged member 1, which carries the rotatable locking-bolt 2 of a well-known form of lock, the inner end of the bolt terminating in arms or lobes 3 3, which when the bolt is rocked to its locking position by the key K span and overlap the walls of the opening 4, formed in the plate 5, secured to the id and forming the second or complementary member of the lock. This form of lock is well known and requires no special or further description. Formed with the plate 5 is a basal flange or hp 6, bearing snugly against the complementary member 1 when the latter is closed or folded against the lid. The hinged member 1 is provided 011 its inner face with pins 7 8, which traverse an elongated slot 9 of a movable latch or fastening device 10, the pin 8 being slightly to one side of the pin 7 and being adapted to engage alternately the depressions or grooves 11 12, formed, respectively, at an intermediate point and at one end of the length of the slot 9, the particular depression engaged depending on the position to which the latch has been shifted. The engagement is assured by the s ring 13, secured to the latch and bearing wit its free end against the rib 14 of the member 1. The latch 10 is accessible from the outside of the trunk through a cut-away portion or recess 15, through which is inserted a knife-blade b or nail or other similar instrument, the base of the latch being provided with an arm 16, under which the blade may be inserted when it is desired to raise the latch into engagement with the flange or lip 6, Fig. 3, or the blade may be inserted above the arm 16 and the latch forced down for purposes of disengagement from the flange 6, Fig. 2. lVhen the latch is pushed to its locking position, Fig. 3, the spring 13 forces the groove 12 into engagement with the pin 8. When pushed to its unlocked position, the spring forces the groove 11 into engagement with said pin, Fig. 2. The latch under the action of the spring 13 remains in either of its extreme positions until shifted by the instrument inserted through the opening 15. The latch 10 is hidden and its position is known only to the owner of the trunk, so that should an unauthorized person succeed in unlocking the lock by means of a key yet, not knowing of the latch 10,he could not swing the member 1 to an open position, Fig. 3, and thus would be unable to gain access to the trunk. The latch is protected and guided on its exposed side by a guard-plate 16, secured to the pins 7 8.

The safety-latch here described (or its equivalent) need not necessarily be restricted in its application to the main lock on the trunk, and in Fig. 5 I have shown a hidden latch a plied to a Hagney bolt in the trunk. This bo t comprises, as is well known, a plate ITO 17, having a bolt 18, which enters a-socket 19 of a complementary plate 20 on the trunkbody. Within the depression of the plate 20 is pivoted a latch 21, whose terminal hook 22 may be forced into engagement with a notch 23, formed in the bolt 18, the base of the latch having an arm or projection 24 accessible to an instrument I) through a cut-away portion or slot 25, a spring 26 frictionally retaining the latch in either position to which it may be tripped.

Naturally a safety-latch 0n the order here described is susce tible of many modifications. In its app ication to a Hagney bolt it is apparent that thou h the main lock may be unlocked the lid wouid still resist opening by the locking action of the latch.

Having described my invention, what I claim is- In a trunk having a late carried by the lid and a complementary liinged member on the body portion, a locking mechanism in said hinged member to engage said plate, a latch I movable on the inner face of the hinged member and having an elongated slot formed therein, pins projecting from the inner face of the hinged member and traversing said slot, depressions spaced suitable distances apart formed along one side of the slot, a spring carried by the latch and bearing with one end against a fixed portion on the hinged member for forcing one of the pins into engagement with its proper depression for either of the extreme positions of the latch, an arm on the latch, said arm being accessible for purposes of manipulation through an opening or cutaway portion formed in the wall of the hinged member, and means formed on the plate or member complementary thereto for efiecting a'locking engagement with the latch for one of the extreme positions of the latter, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN WOLF. Witnesses:

EMIL STAREK, Jos. A. MICHEL. 

